1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to electronic training devices and in particular to flight simulator training devices. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic flight simulator training device having active electronic display controls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The expense and complexity of modern military and civilian aircraft has lead to an increase in the utilization of sophisticated training devices, such as flight simulators. Such devices typically employ electronic images to simulate the cockpit viewpoint and also utilize hydraulic actuators to simulate movement of the aircraft.
The instrumentation typically utilized in such flight simulator devices has, in the past been implemented utilizing actual instrumentation; however, modern avionics instruments are quite expensive and the utilization of such instruments within a training device has thus become prohibitively costly.
More recently, avionics instruments have been simulated within flight training devices utilizing electronic display panels, such as liquid crystal displays or cathode ray tube displays. While such systems provide a cost effective method for simulating expensive instrumentation, the realistic look touch and feel of the controls typically associated with avionic instruments has been lost. Discrete on/off push buttons, or touch screen switches provided in conjunction with cathode ray tube displays or other display devices have been utilized; however, such switches serve as a poor substitute for rotary, electromechanical controls which are typically associated with modern avionics instruments.
Such push button switches or touch screen switches are generally utilized in conjunction with simulated avionics instrument displays as a result of the electronic display panel, which minimize the "depth" of the instrument panel and thus prohibit the utilization of rotary, electromechanical controls which provide a more realistic and accurate representation of actual instrument controls. The inability of such systems to locate the control at an appropriate and realistic location in order to provide accurate and realistic representations of rotary, electromechanical controls within such simulated instrument panels has resulted in training devices which are less than optimal in terms of the provision of a realistic simulated controls.
It should thus be apparent that a need exists for an instrument panel within a flight simulator training device which provides active, rotary, electromechanical controls which simulate actual avionics instruments controls in a manner not heretofore provided in the prior art.